Encouraginng each other to be assertive is something that is very important to me!
Relying on others can be very frustrating. People using their own initiative can often achieve far more. Self belief is important!
We llive in a town where this already happens so much . It will be natural for us as to do this more and more..

I suggest that if you're involved with very young children in any way that you don't provide solutions.

What young brains are geared up for is solving problems.

They are highly skilled at making sense of the world - they teach themselves language in order to understand and talk to us.

They will thrive in creating things themselves and making things up.

The worse thing one can do is stick them in front of telly or provide them with gimmicky toys that do things electronically. This surely switches off that inquisative nature which encourages them to do and solve things/problems themselves.

Children at this age need difficulties - not easy solutions.

My favourite 'toy' for three year olds is a pile of stackable/ foldable cardboard boxes. You can cut holes in them and they can decorate them with you and create their own houses.

Please don't lets produce a load of Zombies that have little initiative and confidence in themselves.

They need loads of challenges with as little help given as possible.

Life ahead is going to be a nightmare (global warming, no jobs, fighting over resources) so let's help them develop the best skills to cope with difficulties at an early age.

The above deals with children's behaviour with things. Another very important area is dealing with other humans, disappointments and frustrations. They are going to be faced with plenty of these in their life to come . . . . .

Wednesday, 27 October 2010

As we placed the candle-jars in amongst the woods of Gill Banks - ready for the walk in the dark on Sunday Evening - we made some discoveries.

Perhaps predictable, was a fine collection of old bottles emanating no doubt from the picnic table that attracts the youngsters exploring what it feels like to get drunk - away from prying eyes. Yes , no doubt the result of your indulgencies in earlier life are still to be found in the undergrowth. However, far more noteworthy was the discovery of a valuable Oak Sign Post from the past.

In these times of cuts I'm sure we will appreciate having a duplicate of this beautiful sign!

In spite of these distractions we managed to place about 100 lights and avoid falling into the beck - but it was a near thing several times. The footwork of a seventy year old was not as secure as the nibble legs of the teenagers helping.

So nearly half of the lights that go in the depths of the woodland jungle have been completed.

Tomorrow its a chance to meet many of you at the Market Cross as we seek to remind you of what you may be about to miss

We enjoy this kind of thing too much for mere wetness to stop us; in fact some of us think it will be more fun if it rains!

In a winter spectacle to warm even the most chilling spook-night spirits, an amazing 800 candles will light-up the night. These include nearly 100 pottery 'spike lights' – terracotta candle holders that've been cast by local children and pottery enthusiasts to sit on the railings and cast an eerie glow. Among them there's a coiled dragon with flaming eyes, a cityscape with glowing windows and of course a few ghouls.

A further 700 candles in jam jars will be dotted about in the woods to complete the scene for a spooky candlelit walk from 6.30pm.

Ulverston potter Geoff Dellow is organising the event with people from The Gill.
“It's something we tried out for the first time last year and it was a great success,” said Geoff. “More than 150 people turned-up to walk along the candlelit path and it all looked really magical.
This time we've been busy making even more spike lights and our own candles that should burn brighter and longer than the little tealights we used before.”

Geoff has been busy testing his new candles made thanks to donations of wax from Wax Lyrical, loo rolls and hundreds of jam jars.

“They can resist strong winds of about 20mph but I'm hoping it won't come to that,” he said. “It'll be great to celebrate Halloween simply by enjoying firelight on a chilly Autumn's evening.”

After the walk, residents of the Gill are inviting people to linger in the candlelight and warm-up with some mulled apple juice and a few spooky snacks.

“The test run looked amazing,” said Gill resident Jennie Dennett who's helping organise the walk. “With the candles edging the path it looks like a landing strip for passing witches on broomsticks, or like the corridors of a medieval castle with their flaming torches. There's something very Harry Potter about it, you could imagine a Quidditch match going on in the woods.”

The candles will be lit from 6pm to 8pm and the procession starts at 6.30pm.

Volunteers are still needed to help light all those wicks, anyone who can join in from 3pm Sunday is asked to contact Geoff at gd at tygh.co.uk (done to avoid spam) or just turn up and find us we won't be far away!

Saturday, 23 October 2010

In this first situation I openly pointed the camera and took their photos.

As you see there's not a flicker of interest or real disapproval.

The behaviour of this second group of three (there's one in front holding the red bag) was totally different.

I got this group to spring up out of their seats and cheer - the one with the hand bag actually got up and raised her right arm with a clenched fist. They were reacting not primarily to me but to a woman in front that was mouthing off at another passenger - a stranger telling - her to shut up.

I was the one that triggered off this release of emotion.

Story to follow!

A similar situation happens at live performances when you can get the people round you to clap by clapping vigorously yourself!

Some of them are fair and designed to offer suggestions for improvements. These will be published but a lot are made by people who have nothing better to do that try to tear others to shreds.

Constructive criticism is welcomed.

It encourages us to do better not killing off initiative.

"Oh but you're always having a go at the councillors." you may reply.

Yes, that's my privilege. We elected them because they said they would do a job.

They put themselves forward. The job of promoting the best that's in the interest of Ulverston.

Their function is to be in touch with what we want and carry this out as effectively as possible.

If they fail then we need to express our views in such a way that they listen. Their job is to listen and assess what it is the Ulverstonians want. Then having determined this they should attempt to carry this out using all the ability at their disposal.

If there is an agreed goal then they are at fault if they ignore offers of real help from the community, especially if this is free. We should then keep asking why they choose to ignore this help if it is repeatedly offered.

At the moment some of them don't like the heat.

Tough.

In my view the job of a councillor is to coordinate the talents in the town so as to achieve the best job possible.

It is not their responsibility to be experts themselves but to respectfully encourage and enable the best people in the town to accomplish impressive feats.

At present most of the councillors give little encouragement and sometimes even thwart those willing to give their talents and energy.

We suffer from a party system. People with limited abilities get elected. This is fine because their main role is not to achieve themselves but to determine what the people want to be done.

When they've done this then they can use all the political means at their disposal. But their efforts must not stop here.

They must be good at providing leadership so as to coordinate the available resources of people and money to achieve a desired goal.

In some towns, at a local level, people are elected for what they achieve and not for the party they represent. Towns where things get done have councillors that are almost entirely independent thinkers and there because people in the community know them as doers.

With the present system in Ulverston, the doers get frustrated and steer well clear of the politicians.

So lets concentrate on being positive and encouraging each other rather than destroying initiative with unconstructive criticism.

Tuesday, 12 October 2010

Isn't the root cause of the cost of the toilets, the Tourist Information Centres and to include a really sore issue, the cost of our carparks all down to maladministration by SLDC.

The high paid executives are not doing their job of ensuring efficient operation. Instead of sorting the working practices of their officers and subcontractors out the councillors choose to run away from the problem and make cuts that would not be needed if the council were running like an efficient business.

But stop and consider this. Who employ these council workers and set policy that no businesses would tolerate? We do, through our councillors. So why aren't councillors right across the area trying to straighten this local council's workers out.

The same is true regarding the County Council and the Highways Department the officers take control and the councillors put up with it, they act powerless. Some issues need to be followed and checked through in great detail.

Isn't an important part of the problem that councillors are only too happy to have a poke at a problem and then give up?

Don't we need our councillors to show more leadership in exploring the business practices that lead to our problems. Now is a time for some fiery councillors to make sure that the system runs well.

If they need us to support them in any way they should tell us. How about a march through Kendal or something else dramatic.
Alternatively some well put together videos on Youtube that show up current practices (works for me a treat!).Can't they come up with something that will get the message across?

I'd suggest we need councillors right across the District who take their jobs seriously as though they were running a business. Not just making decisions but making sure they were being carried out. Too much time spent in the Council Chamber and not enough breathing down officers necks.

Saturday, 9 October 2010

I hear them criticised regularly , in fact it's rare to hear a good word said.

This is unforgivable and I mean it.

How dare people criticise if they aren't ready to do the job themselves.

I've been watching out for people to run for council for the past two years and haven't met one other than members of the Green Party. This is not entirely to their credit as they are quite open about wanting to promote the Party as their main objective. Becoming an Ulverston Councillor seems to come second.

So if you're not prepared to do the job, how dare you criticise.

By contrast I am keen to become elected and would love to replace one of our six SLDC councillors.

"Why did councillors not come to me for an explanation of the abusive emails that they received rather than cause two police officers to send their valuable time coming to my house for an explanation."

From the Mayor's reply at the council meeting, their seemed an irrefutable logic that because the person who was sending the abusive emails claimed to be my second in command, then this must be true. I was therefore responsible.

It was clear from the behavior of the councillors present that they believed this to be the case and that I was behind the abuse. I can still remember the scowl of Colin Hodgson and Norman Bishop-Rowe who are normally friendly, not giving me eye contact and carrying a long drawn tense face. Most of the councillors present totally ignored me and were hostile.

My replies could not change the attittude of the Mayor, Phil Lister. He was clearly convinced that I was involved with the sending of these abusive emails and had a case to answer.

He was adamant, I was clearly involved , and he was very angry.

There was only one of the councillors who had asked me privately for an explanation previous to the meeting and had checked out that I too had received abuse. This was Colin Williams.

I couldn't believe that so many people would be convinced by Mayor Phil Lister's faulty logic.

What kind of people were these councillors?

The mood in the council chamber was that a public lynching was highly appropriate.

Thanks to the action of Colin Williams I wasn't completely shattered.

As I left the council chamber after this exchange he came running after me calling my name and repeating "They've got it all wrong, Geoff. They've got it all wrong"

At least there was one person who had checked their facts and believed I was innocent.

My initial reaction was to sue the Mayor and council for slander. I had three reliable witnesses and asked them to make a written record of what had happened and would use the best solicitors in the country to press my case. I was sure I could win and get the council to pay the enormous court costs that would ensue.

On reflection I realised that what the councillors believed would have little impact on my life in Ulverston. The public present in the chamber were more likely to believe me than them. My impression is that there are few people here in the town that have much respect for the kind of people these councillors are and certainly not believe them rather than me.

My word against theirs - no contest.

There was really nothing to be gained by clearing my name. I have better things to spend my life doing.

An apology for jumping to the wrong conclusion would be good and help future relations and this is what I would expect from the councillors if I am to respect them in the future.

I would request (not demand) this.

An email to the Mayor requesting an apology has resulted in a long rambling statement containing several inaccuracies that seek to justify his assertion that "There will be no apology".

He clearly feels he is right and that I was at fault.

As for other councillors:

I have had a warm smile from Janet Jenkinson at a subsequent council meeting.

We'll see what the future holds but no point in dwelling on this any longer.

Thursday, 7 October 2010

That the Pakistan Flood relief shop, next to my Oxfam building (I designed and converted it! - the inside)

As we were saying until my alter ego stepped in.

The last day the Pakistan Flood Relief shop will be open.

The beautiful (I remember when Avril was a flirtatious and very attractive secretary in PID, at Glaxo when I worked there - it never occurred to me to even think of flirting back - I was not in her league) women ( the rest of them in there were undoubtedly as attractive in their youth) will be scampering off home for a looooong rest no doubt to receive breakfast in bed for the next month while they recover - only to re-emerge for the Dickensian week end, that evening.

Now completely independently of the council a private individual is producing a web site for tourists that is something that is already special and will get better as more and more is added to it and others chip in to help. Let's hope it makes a real impact next season.

Wednesday, 6 October 2010

Problems with the traffic system were raised with Mr Airey a senior Traffic engineer at a recent Council meeting.

Now we have a four vehicle accident, apparently at Newland, which was reported incorrectly on BBC travel information for this area.

Never-the-less the following may be pertinent.

Cllr Norman Bishop-Rowe raised detail concerns about the flow at the Tanks Square round about and Cllr Judy Pickthall about the road approaching Quebec Street because of the narrowing from two lanes to one.

As I understand it, nothing was going to be done until the system has been tested a whole year.

Reporting incidents to the police will help build up a more complete picture of what is happening and possibly achieve change more quickly.

Hopefully our County Councillors are registering strongly our need for a bypass that avoids Ulverston altogether. It may not happen for ten to twenty years but I would have thought a campaign needs mounting now to even achieve this.

Sunday, 3 October 2010

It occurs to me regularly as I am increasingly conscious that I am mortal and on the way out.

I am aware that I am losing some of my abilities which signals that my body is on the decline. My memory is definitely becoming poorer as I strive to remember people's names - often one's I should know well. My hearing is also on the decline - it is still very sensitive but what I hear is increasingly muzzy as I have tinnitus; that constant ringing in my ear.

Very minor problems at the moment. Never-the-less they are signals to my future.

Strangely one part of me reacts positively to this awareness. For me it's a good feeling as it produces a determination to pack every bit of living into what time I have left.

It could be that this approach may actually lead me to live longer!

What excites me is being able to still develop skills and achieve things I have never done before. This may take more time than when younger but I can measure improvements anyway.

Writing this blog is one activity that stretches me. Consider that I saw English as my worse subject at school (Maths was my best). In spite of passing nine subjects at O-level, I failed English. I used to agonise at writing essays as part of my Friday night's homework - I'd start on Friday, work on it on Saturday and regularly sat doggedly at it on Sunday morning. I've still got some of the sketches of flowers sitting on the table that were done when I was sat 'doing my essay'.

Playing and composing on the piano is now one of my pursuits, almost an obsession because I'm enjoying the outcome so much.

Working with other people is also another new thing I'm learning to do. I've always been a loner - aware that if I want a result the quickest and easiest is to do the lot myself. I often can because I've developed a variety of skills as I've lived and can turn my hand to a lot of things, especially practical.

Now however my goal posts have changed and I'm not so interested in getting a job done as I am in encouraging others to do it with me. This is a great challenge for me at this time as I'm involved with a group of people even now; feeling my way gingerly through this new experience.

These are a few of the things that are encouraging me to attempt to live life to the full . . . until I die . . . which may well not be in the next thirty years . . . who knows!

I was very pleasantly surprised how often young people got up and offered me their seats as I used the buses in Central London yesterday.

I even got a bright friendly smile from a young woman as I past her on the pavement. (I enjoy looking straight at people as I approach them with a friendly bearing. Sometimes this provokes a smile or even a "Hi". It works too here in Ulverston. Contrary to belief here on this blog, I get the impression that I'm liked)

It certainly makes you feel good.
My partner (female) also had several insistent offers of seats (three all together) which she declined explaining that she at 65 was happy to stand a while but after much merriment that rippled around the coach with lots of head turning she succumbed.

What a great atmosphere.

Is this really London?

What's going on?

My only explanation is that there are a lot of foreign students around who instinctively take care of their oldies.

Could it be that the foreign invasion of "immigrants" is having a very positive effect on our culture.

I'm looking forward to my next visit to London - wouldn't you?

Standing at the corner outside "Hewitt's" at the Market Square has a similar feel.

Here, I seem to be everyone's friend and get welcome comments for my fights with the council - well done - is a regular comment. Gives you a bit of confidence when taking on our politicians - feeling that most of Ulverston supports you.

One shop keeper's mother goes as far as stating: "Anything that you do, I support ".

Now that's takings too far don't you think?

Or is that feel good factor spreading.

Join with us then for our candlelit walk up Gill Banks on Halloween it's going to be even more special this year.

With long lasting candles in jars which stay alight some ten hours in windy conditions there will be a longer period to enjoy the lights along Gill Banks and the woods. It could be quite spooky. Not a sight you will see again until maybe next year.

Good also to meet some friendly trick or treaters for a change. Dressing up as witches seems to be the norm for the adults and skeleton kids abound.

You may even meet one or more of the twenty odd people organising the event that has been discussed since November 1st last year.

What shall we do next year was the question - well you haven't too long to find out what next!

Isn't it great mixing with real people and forgetting the cardboard cut outs for a change!

His cards and pictures will become increasing available from Gillam's Market, Street for cards; Mad Hatter's, Market Street, The Bakehouse, Brogden Street, The Ulverston Brewery and the Bookstall in the Indoor Market, New Market Street for pictures.